Crowdfunding might just become FTSE 2.0 – a place where any inventor, big or small, can appeal to the world for a bit of money and bring an audacious idea to life. Kano – a computer you build yourself, like Lego – became the UK's most crowdfunded idea ever last November.

As co-creators, we raised $1.5m in 30 days, from thousands of backers around the world, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. What was the secret to our success? Here are some tips from us on how to go big on Kickstarter, IndieGogo and other idea incubators.

First things first

You might think your campaign begins when you push the big green button. But it's not; to attract thousands of anonymous netizens to your idea, you're going to need some help. Yes, you've done a lot of hard work and your prototype is working and looking great, but just because you love your product or idea, that doesn't mean everyone else will "get it" straight away.

You'll need a brilliant press pack (use ours as a template) along with some pre-baked social channels and some inspiring launch events. You'll need high-quality photography, well-written stories and, most importantly, engaging videos. Get some real people to try your prototype and give feedback, although you really should be doing this every day. Find the reporters and bloggers who might be interested in your idea and offer them an early peek.

You'll also need friends, so create a list of the Twitter handles and email addresses of people who might be willing to give you a push. Also, get some sleep before the campaign; if all goes well, you'll be answering the phone to joyful backers until dawn.

Tell a story

You're an inventor – the first things on your mind are probably the "what" and "how". You're desperate to explain what your project or product is and does. You've done your due diligence on how much money you need to make it happen and how you plan to build it. That's the minimum, but where you're really going to win eyeballs, pledges and love is with your "who" and "why".

Don't write a business pitch. Write your campaign as you would a letter to an intelligent friend. As you tell the story of your project, don't forget the bigger picture: the "why now" and "why this" – the things that move people into placing their faith in you. Ultimately, all the tweets in the world won't matter if visitors see your campaign and mistakes it for the latest high street gadget.

Your Kickstarter video we shouldn't have to mention – Scorsese quality with Brechtian brevity. And be funny, for goodness sake!

Be ready for the future

From day one of starting Kano, we've been about three things: execution, detailed planning and managing expectations (those of others and our own). All three have helped us design, make and ship 200 prototypes within four months from an apartment in London, and then move forward to execute fiercely on our Kickstarter campaign.

We didn't launch until we were sure we were on top of our entire supply chain and production timeline. This understanding of what it takes to ship atoms globally has enabled us to be transparent and realistic about our fulfilment goals. Throughout the company's (young) life, we've learned to execute fast and deliver. We've worked hard on designing Kano's supply chain, building relationships with the right partners and, most importantly, we are passionate about making people happy. It starts with fulfilling their expectations.

Build a tribe

The people who support you on Kickstarter aren't just customers; they're your saviours, mentors, teachers and preachers. Treat them with respect. Don't bombard their inbox, but do keep them updated with special sneak peeks at your idea taking shape. They're part of the story as much as you. Take their feedback seriously, and start working today on the changes, requests and ideas that keep coming up in the comments. Create a forum if you can for people to hang out and talk on.

Give people reasons to care and share. These folks threw money at you when all you had was a prototype and a good idea. They're willing to wait months (but not years) for your idea to arrive. Give back what they gave, and then more.

Finally, don't forget to pop the champagne if and when you're funded – you worked hard, now make the product you want for the people who matter.